Original Research Article
Year: 2015 | Month: August | Volume: 2 | Issue: 8 | Pages: 481-486
Ethnobotanical Studies of the Efficacy of Five Oils at Graded Levels on Adult Callosobruchus Maculatus Reared on Cowpea
Wahedi JA1, Zakariya R1, Danba EP2, David DL2, Mshelmbula BP1, Buba U3, Barau BW2, Dauda UD2, Bello H.1
1Department of Biological Sciences, Adamawa State University, P.M.B. 25, Mubi, Nigeria.2Department of Biological Sciences, Taraba State University, P.M.B. 1167, Jalingo, Nigeria.
3Department of Animal Science, Taraba State University, P.M.B. 1167, Jalingo, Nigeria.
Corresponding Author: Wahedi J
ABSTRACT
The cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus is one of the major pests infesting stored pulse and is distributed worldwide. The efficacy of different dosage of botanical oils for the control of C. maculatus in a stored grain (cowpea) was evaluated in Yola, Adamawa state Nigeria. Laboratory experiments were conducted on cowpea grain by treating them with five different botanical oils (Olive oil, Groundnut oil, Soya bean oil, Khaya ivorensis oil and Neem oil) for the protection of stored cowpea against C. maculatus. Cowpea used for the experiment were subjected to different oil treatments applied at different concentrations (0.5 ml, 1.0 ml, and 1.5 ml ) per 10 grams of cowpea seeds. Randomized Complete Block Design was used and the treatments were replicated three times. Mortality counts were carried out across 24, 48 and 72 hours after treatment as well as oviposition after 14 days of exposure. The result obtained showed that all the botanical oils showed some promising effects on the mortality as well as the oviposition deterrent on adult C. maculatus (especially at 1.0 ml and 1.5 ml) when compared with the control experiment. This study demonstrates that plant oils can play an important role in protecting cowpea from insect’s invasion during storage.
Key Words: Callosobruchus maculatus, cowpea, ethnobotanical, oils, weevils.